Sunday, December 6, 2009

French-Canadian Ancestry

My husband's maternal lineage is almost entirely French-Canadian. This makes research both simple (I can focus entirely on one province; sometimes a second as families move) and difficult (there are ancestors with 4 or 5 names, not to mention the "dit" names).

This is probably my weak research point, so I am pleased that Cyprien Tanguay's Dictionnaire Genealogique is available online.

While there are errors, and it is best to verify events with church records, these 7 volumes are a wonderful way to get started on checking names and dates. This website is particularly useful to me, as I currently reside in Asia (off to Europe next year, we hope), and cannot simply hop in my car for a trip to Quebec.

I highly recommend this site to anybody with French-Canadian ancestors, with the reminder that - at some point - you should try to verify the dates and places with church records. Or at least include the caveat in your genealogy that Tanguay's books do have errors, so that perhaps future generations who have the opportunity to visit Quebec will take the initiative to do so.

1 comment:

Thanks for the link. I have a big fat Cajun line. At some point, I'll get it back to Canada, and this resource will come in handy when I do. But first I have to sort through all the Pierre Thibodeauxs and figure out which one is mine.

About Me

Wendy is a Pagan city hippie living in the country. She is also a genealogist, writer, gamer and one of the authors of
"Steampunk for Simpletons." Her alter-ego is a bestselling romance author.

A college town New Englander
turned one-horse town Nebraskan, she raises a cup of Dunkies to life
among cornfields and coyotes. She is still pleasantly surprised that
amber waves of grain exist, and has declared the Midwestern prairies
"wicked cool."

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About Me

Wendy is a Pagan city hippie living in the country. She is also a genealogist, writer, gamer and one of the authors of
"Steampunk for Simpletons." Her alter-ego is a bestselling romance author.

A college town New Englander
turned one-horse town Nebraskan, she raises a cup of Dunkies to life
among cornfields and coyotes. She is still pleasantly surprised that
amber waves of grain exist, and has declared the Midwestern prairies
"wicked cool."